<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Healing and Hoping by Crab_Lad</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23093125">Healing and Hoping</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crab_Lad/pseuds/Crab_Lad'>Crab_Lad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crab's need for clone wars content [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, blease, let them have peace, listen i have a lot of feels, this is basically my version of what happened after s7 ep3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:27:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23093125</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crab_Lad/pseuds/Crab_Lad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stealing himself, Rex straightened, turning to Echo but not meeting his gaze, “Echo. Fives is dead.” </p><p>“I know.” </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT-21-0408 | Echo &amp; CT-7567 | Rex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crab's need for clone wars content [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>200</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Healing and Hoping</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi this is my first clone wars fic blease dont hate me</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They touched down safely at the base on Anaxes, the Bad Batch already filtering out and the General already moving towards his former master, a sheepish look on his face. Rex hung back, taking the weight of (an adrenaline crashing) Echo, who looked close to passing out if the pained look on his face said anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time since they found him, Rex took a moment to soak in the presence of his brother, finally safe by his side. He had been so scared, so kriffing terrified that Crosshair had been right, that the General had been right. That Echo was dead, or worse, angry at Rex for leaving him. At that thought, Rex tugged his brother closer, into a hug rather than a support stance, keeping mind not to mess with any of the wires and mechanical whatevers that were still attached to Echo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” Rex whispered, his eyes falling shut as he held the oh-so thin frame of his brother, skin much colder than he would like. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>vode</span>
  </em>
  <span> usually ran hot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo’s still human arm wrapped around, loosely and not tight like his hugs once were, but buried his face in Rex’s chest plate, letting out a sigh. He didn’t respond, but Rex knew why. Echo wasn’t angry, but he understood that Rex needed to apologize. The metal appendage that had replaced Echo’s arm hung limp at his side, knocking against the plastoid of Rex’s shin guard. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“We should-” </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Get me fixed up and rested, sir?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Rex pulled back, Echo’s mouth was quirked up in a half-smile, but his eyes held exhaustion and sadness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ECHO!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A shout rang through the landing pad, and two troopers suddenly knocked into them, dislodging Rex as Jesse and Kix fretted over their brother. They were speaking Mando’a rapidly, too fast for Rex to really focus on and Echo looked a little overwhelmed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Vode, </span>
  </em>
  <span>give him a little space,” He asked softly, stepping back up to place a hand on Jesse’s lower arm. The top half of his armour was missing, but Kix’s was fully on, and the medic looked tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, we’re just-” Jesse couldn’t help but grin, and let out a wet laugh. “We’re glad you’re back Echo. We… We missed you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rex caught Kix scanning Echo with his eyes, which widened in horror at the messed up amalgam that the Techno Union had attached to their brother. But he watched as Kix blinked away that horror, stepping closer to press a hand to Echo’s forehead, before reaching down and feeling his pulse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re… freezing. We need to warm you up before Hypothermia sets in if it hasn’t already,” Kix informed, stepping back again, “And- you might do good with some Bacta injections. I’d like to do a full scan in the medbay if you think you could handle that right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nodd, the three of them lead a quickly draining Echo to the medbay. Jesse ran off to get a fresh pair of clothes while Kix bustled around the center, gathering the things he needed. Echo stayed close to Rex, seemingly not wanting to drift too far. There was a hint of fear on his face whenever Rex strayed too far, and once he noticed it, he decided to remain with at least one hand resting on Echo’s arm until he was asleep. The two waited by the cot, and Rex’s mind wandered. Echo had been gone- captured (Rex had let him, he had stopped Fives from saving him, they could have saved him be he didn’t- they didn’t- he hadn’t let them-) for over a year… he had… missed so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stealing himself, Rex straightened, turning to Echo but not meeting his gaze, “Echo. Fives is dead.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something shattered in Rex, and he fought to hold back tears. Just the simple admission shattered the control he had on his emotions and they threatened to drown him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo glanced at him, something deep, tired, and oh so sad. “I know, Rex,” he admitted, voice careful but full of pain, “Do you really think, if he had found out I was alive, that he would have stayed here? Stayed behind while you all rescued me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But they hadn’t really known, hadn’t and everyone was against it, it was a false hope that turned out to be real hope and they HAD saved Echo but so much had-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the last Domino standing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That broke his control completely, and Rex clung to Echo, tears he had never shed even back then, the Citadel, Tup, the Chips, Fives, falling. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated like a mantra, “Ni ceta.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Echo reared back eyes widening and mouth hanging open, “Rex, no-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ni ceta,” he repeated, “I should have saved you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Turning back, Echo looked at him with a stern expression, but his own eyes were brimming with tears. Rex couldn’t help but let out a small choked laugh. His </span>
  <em>
    <span>vod’ika </span>
  </em>
  <span>was always better emotionally adapted than he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did what you could, Captain. Rex, don’t blame yourself for what happened. I know, I know you do but this was not. Your. Fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both fell silent, and Rex lost track of how much time was spent as the two clung to each other, finally letting out all they had held in for so long. Kix approached them not long after, finally with everything he needed and didn’t comment on the drying tracks of tears on his Captain’s face. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>